Well my friends this is the last word on the IPC. I've already mentioned in the last two postings about this great event and what an absolute blast it was hanging out with some of the best in the business. However what I failed to mention was, where I finished in the event and how I was eventually ousted.
So here it is. As I mentioned last week, we had 300 or so entrants with a wonderful structure.
After the first day, with almost half the field eliminated I was positioned very well in around the top 15 players. After a couple of pints at the hotel guest bar (which stayed open 'till about 5am) with Padraig Parkinson and Mike Sexton, I was off to try and get a little shut eye. Yeah right! Not a chance, as every hand I had seen for the entire day kept flashing through my head, Ahh well, it comes with the job!
Anyway, on day two we started play at 1 p.m. and continued playing long into the night, actually it was about 4:30am by the time the last round ended. So when we finally began bagging up the chips for the night, with only 18 hopefuls remaining, I was quiet happy again to see I was sixth in chip position.
As we made our way out of the poker room, down towards the guest bar for a night cap, I could hear the echo of clanging milk bottles in the distance from a milk truck as it drove through Galway's ancient narrow streets. My job was done for the night yet another man's had just begun.
After two quick vodka's with orange, I was away off to bed. The crazy thing is that by the time I eventually laid my head on the pillow… the sun was already coming up! Long day folks…long day.
If anyone should dare tell you that poker is now a young man's game, well, I think Mickey Moran would beg to differ. Walking tall at a towering six foot-two inches and whistling the tune to Kenny Roger's The Gambler you would hardly know that he had been playing poker for fifteen hours straight. "How many chips do you have Ciaran?" he asked. About 160,000 I replied. Before I could ask him in return he shouts, "Sure I'm only just behind ya!"
Mickey is an exceptional poker player with almost fifty years of experience, and sure, he may no longer, have all his teeth, but this man definitely can still play the game as good as anybody! He had a great run in this event, eventually making the final table but did come up a little short though finished with a very impressive fifth place. Well done sir indeed.
Anyway, back to me. We began day three with the blind structure really starting to bite back and as I mentioned I was in sixth place with about 160,000 in chips. However with blinds now at 5,000-10,000 and 1,000 chip ante it was 24k every orbit of the table. So this took a little bit of the play away from us and forced us to gamble a bit more. It also didn't help with the fact that every time I looked down at my hand I had either 9-4 or 7-2 or 8-3.
Unfortunately, when ever I made a move with these miserable hands someone re-raised all-in and I was forced to fold. Just as well that I did fold as they were being ever so kind and showing me their J-J or A-K and so on.
With only 13 players remaining and just six players at my table and seven at the other table it was now costing 21,000 every six hands. So with no action around to me on the button and with the Q-J of hearts I shoved all my chips into the middle and as quick as I can scoff down an Irish breakfast, I was called by the big blind who turned over A-Q and I was sent packing.
We always used to complain years ago about the small amount of chips that tournaments used to start off with. I now think its good for the game with these new structures and longer rounds as it allows the cream to rise to the top in the long run. The only slight down fall with this structure is that when you get to about 30 players remaining; the structure has a tendency now to work against you as the blinds are typically very high, even in relation to the chip leader.
Having said all that though I still think it's far better for the game and at least if you're lucky enough to get to that number of around 30 you are definitely then I, with a good shot to capture that title if you can pick up a few hands.
After I was eliminated I went in to the booth to do some commentating on the final table with the best of the best - Jesse "The voice" May, Padraig Parkinson and the ambassador himself, Mr. Mike Sexton. This was a wonderful experience for me and it seems I'll have the chance to do it again in the near future. I look forward to that.
I'll leave you with this; a final note.
Next week folks we'll be looking at managing your bankroll and not playing in games that are over your head, and remember if you think you're beat - you probably are.
One last thing, I would like wish all the best to my good friend Noah Schwartz who has made the final table at the Borgata WPT main event which will play out today. Go get 'em my friend!!
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